Cheese, shopping and a castle
I used to be a cheese lover or I better say a cheese fanatic. Every single meal I had in the day should have some cheese in it. Breakfast, lunch, dinner they all included, at least a small portion, of cheese. And if I wanted a snack between meals, guess what. Some more cheese :)
Then I went to the opposite end. No cheese or any other dairy at all, for about a decade. Ten years that I avoided them with the same enthusiasm that I used to have, craving for them. It may sound weird but extreme reactions are part of my character!
Now I am trying to reintroduce dairy in my diet without the exaggerations of the past. A small portion per day and not every day and I'll see how it goes.
The pictures are not, of course, from my cellar (although I would kill for a cellar like that during my cheese loving years) but from the store of a small cheesemaking industry in the island of Naxos. It is a family business, like so many in this field in Greece, that delivers quality products and has been awarded many times. You can find their site here if you are interested to know more about their products.
I met the owner's wife who proudly showed me their products, the store and their awards and I was ecstatic to taste some of their finest cheeses (fortunately I visited them before I quit dairy)! The island itself has a big tradition in stock-farming and cheese making and Koufopoulos family knows all the secrets :)
But today is Friday and posting today is one way road to make a #MarketFriday post, a lovely initiative by @dswigle who invite us to share our markets across the globe!
And apart from this wonderful store filled with all kind of traditional products and a tempting abundance of cheeses, I have some more shopping for you :)
A shop in the heart of the old town, full of colour and perfectly integrated in the village's small streets!
My day ended with a live concert at the Venetian Castle of Naxos and a few panoramic pictures from it. I see no reason to end this post in a different way!
Thank you for reading and if you want to know more about me you can check out my introduction post.
Commenting, upvoting and rebloging are highly appreciated!
I love cheese. I don’t think I could ever go 10 years without eating it.
It was a surprise for me too :)
My extreme nature would also demand all or nothing. But, considering I have goats and make cheese I don't think it will ever be nothing. This is my kind of travel destination. Cheese AND a castle. Especially with the ocean backdrop. Absolute bliss. I'm curious; what is the origin of the milk used for the cheesemaking? Here in SA goat is only now becoming a cheese of choice. With sheep milk cheeses still quite a foreign concept. Mostly South Africans stick to cow cheese and find anything else way to exotic
Nowadays the majority of the cheese in the market is from cow milk. But Greece never had many cows so the most traditional ones are from a mixture of sheep and goat milk. And the last years there is a trend for goat milk and cheese from goat milk only (my choice too) so you can easily find that too.
That was a delicious post!! The number of cheeses offered by the Koufopoulos family is very impressive. The other sights from the day were enjoyable, too. : )
Thank you very much, I am glad you enjoyed it :)
Your photos are truly stunning! I love all those enormous bricks of cheese. I would have no trouble eating one. :)
You really have a gift for photography. Every image is captivating, well framed and could appear in a travel magazine. Wonderful!
Haha, actually it has. I took those photos as part of an assignment of a travel magazine that I used to work for and many of them were published in the magazine :)
Thank you very much for your kind words, I am glad you enjoyed the post!
I have no trouble believing that. I hope they don't somehow claim the rights to them!
Nope, the rights are mine :)
Seriously I have never tested cheese before and the pic is attractive I wish to have a test
I hope you'll have the chance to taste some, soon enough!
Thank you for stopping by!
Cheese! How could you live without it? :)
This extreme nature, I am familiar with it, although I honestly don't understand it. I ate no cheese for 7 or 8 years. Now, I eat cheese for the last 4 years. I cannot imagine living where you live and not partaking in the pleasure... Look at all those wheels and fabulous, delectable visions of cheese.
I can tell a photo shoot when I look at one! How can you resist not taking pictures the way you once did. It is in your blood, just look at these shots and all your others! The way they are composed and lighting and... and... and... I always love doing a slow scroll through your posts.
Well done, as always! I actually think I enjoy it all the more eating less of it, but, always looking forward to it, and it is like a fine wine...
Starting immediately, #MarketFriday will be paused for a period of time. I want to thank you for your support along the way and I look forward to seeing you back when I resume the posting concept.
#MarketFriday began as a way to reach out across the globe and learn about different cultures through their markets, especially local markets and farmers' markets, and eventually branched out and evolved over time from straight shopping to a cultural affair as it highlights how we differ and then again, how much we are alike. We have become a melting pot of culture, but it is still the Rituals, Festivals, food, architecture, and even your language/languages that separate us... Along with the fact that these things are normal for us. There are unwritten rules that rule our social behaviors. I see this as allowing for increased tolerance between cultures and nations, and opportunities to come together on an even playing ground. A strong culture can be beneficial to a country as it promotes unity, especially during a crisis, peaceful debate, and open dialogue. I have learned so much about all of you and it has been an amazing experience. I can only hope that learning about each other can help us work together for a peaceful world.
Thank you for being a part of #MarketFriday
#MarketFriday loves you!
It is a riddle, isn't it?
When your mind tells you that something might be harmful but your taste tells you that it is divine :)
Thank you, one more time, for your wonderful, encouraging comments!
I am going to miss it, you have created a lovely community around you! I hope you are fine and that this pause doesn't mean any problems.
Not at all, thank you for your concern. It will be impossible to take care of all the reading and comments it involves, but I will be still here on hive and posting markets very soon.